An analogy between the processing of colour vision and local spatial vision is proposed. The analogy extends over multiple processing stages. In the measurement stage the proximal stimulus is measured by a small number of linear filters. The analogy is between the filter systems used – both of which approximate a truncated Hermite Transform. In the invariance stage the aspect of these filter responses which informs about the distal scene is factored out. The analogy is between these factored spaces – in one case the Colour Solid, in the other the local image structure solid. In the categorization stages these solids are partitioned into a small number of qualitatively distinct sub-volumes. The analogy is between the category systems – in one case the Basic Colours, in the other case a system of image features. Finally, predictions of the location of the Basic Colour foci within the colour solid are made.